Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Sadly, my brother Lloyd Cochran took his own life in 2012.  It is incredible to think that a young man, so positive and outgoing and surrounded by loving friends and family, could store up such sadness that suicide becomes an option.

Tragically, suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.  The experience my family has been through has driven us, along with a troop of wonderful friends, to raise money for C.A.L.M. with the aim of helping to increase awareness of issues surrounding suicide and, hopefully, encourage people to seek help and support when they need it.

This year a big group of us will be walking 100 miles of the Welsh coast over 4 days, finishing with a climb up Snowdon.

I would be very grateful if you would donate anything you can spare to this cause so close to my heart.

And, more importantly, if you are able to talk to friends and loved ones about mental health and suicide - helping to get these subjects out in the open and make them normal - you might help to save someone's life.

C.A.L.M. believe…

that if men felt able to ask for, and find, timely and appropriate help when they need it then hundreds of male suicides could be prevented in the UK.  We believe that there is a cultural barrier preventing men from seeking help as they are expected to be in control at all times, and failure to be seen as such equates to weakness and a loss of masculinity.  We believe that suicide is neither inevitable nor an indication that the individual was a failure in any respect.

C.A.L.M. seek To…

• offer immediate support to men who are down or in crisis;


• challenge a culture that prevents men seeking help when they need it, and challenge the stereotypes that prevent men talking about the issues they face.  We want to change attitudes so that men feel able to seek help for themselves and create a climate of public opinion so that it’s acceptable for them to do so;


• push for organisational change so that we better support those seeking help, support those who suffer from bereavement, and discover more about male suicide so that we can be in a better position to prevent it.

CA.L.M. are a national charity with a helpline that takes calls from across the UK.

C.A.L.M. Helpline: We offer confidential, anonymous and free support, information and signposting to men anywhere in the UK through our helpline.  Calls are taken by paid, trained staff who work exclusively on the CALM helpline.  The helpline is operated by the Community Interest Company SJ Helplines.  Through them we also offer a texting service in London.  We currently take between 1,000 to 2000 calls per month.

C.A.L.M.Website:  www.thecalmzone.net is a lively website with articles to inspire, support and entertain as well as promote the activities of our supporters.  We have a team of young men who regularly write articles, interviews and music and film reviews for the website.  The site also contains articles and a database of agencies via which we signpost visitors directly to other agencies who can help.  We’re on Twitter (@theCALMzone) and we love Facebook (facebook.com/theCALMzone).

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.